Marine Area 9 salmon season will re-open February 16th

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE

Action: Marine Area 9 will re-open Feb.16. The daily limit for hatchery chinook salmon in Marine Area 9 will be 1 chinook, with an overall 2-salmon limit. All coho and wild chinook salmon must be released.

Reason for action: Test fishery data collected during January and February indicate there are fewer juvenile (sublegal-size) chinook salmon present in these waters. In addition, sufficient capacity exists to re-open the fishery within the guideline of 6,081 “chinook encounters” – including both retained and released fish – agreed to by the tribal co-managers before this year’s fishery began. Delaying the opening to mid-February allowed the state time to determine a reopening date that will give anglers opportunity later into the spring.

Other information: WDFW will continue to monitor the fishery and will work with sportfishing advisors to determine if any other modifications are necessary to achieve a maximum season in Marine Area 9. Edmonds Public Fishing Pier is unaffected by this rule change and specific regulations for the pier can be found in the Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet.